Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-10-06
hot water, and one with my hasty

hot water. and one with my hasty
temper -"
"Ah, Uncle Eph," said. 'you never
spoke an unkind word in your life"
mot to you and Mary and the rest
of the young ones" he returned, mild
ly, "but l want married to any o.
you, and that makes 3 sight o diff
ference. / spoke good many to
Louisai l got ugly; got SO ugly that
l forgot how to be pleasant There is
cussed, mean, cantankerous streak in
me, and marriage brought it out
strong. Them two poor women had a
terrible life with me. I'd come down
to breakfast thinking I'd behave like
Christian just for one day, and before
the butter was melted on my pancake
Louisa she'd make SOME innocent re-
mark, or her mother would apologize
for there not being any maple sirup,
and then I'd growl and grumble like a
bear with a soar head; nobody knows
what for; and I'd go to the store, and
bang the door after me, SO as to be
ugly up to the last notch.
at wasn't pleasant, Janet Finally
old Mis- Berry got so she couldn't
speak to me at all, for fear of what I'd
say back, and Louisa didn't das't to
open her mouth. And thinks l, if
you're going to be dumb, I'll be dumb,
too So none of us spoke to each
other except when we had to. Nice,
wasn't itp Along come George in the
thick of it, and what must he do but
pitch into the women. l, being his
brother, he was sure l was all right,
but seq to him; George, you DOM
know me; you amt got any idea how
Pm acting But he wouldn't hear 6
word of that; he went in and give
Mis- Berry and Louisa terrible talk
ing to, and then / give HIM talking
to and everybody got mad. Why
George acted as though l was chile
to be cuddIed and fused over. Well
he cleared out, and Mis- Berry was
crying and Louisa she had sort Of fit
and the next day Mis- Berry told mi
Louisa had heart-disease and was likel,
to die if she got excited. That scar
me, and yet it put murder in m.
heart"
Uncle Eph's pipe had gone out, ant
drawing his chair nearer mine he wen
on in low tone:
"Soon as / knowed that Louisa wa
. likely to die if yelled at her o
stamped, 1 just ached to holler ant
swear so as to see if she would dro
dead. had to struggle night and da,
, against the temptation. don't know
what allied me, but was possessed q
, a demon, and 1 had to fight so hard t
Q keep from killing her that the swea
stood on my face as though was gel
ting in hay. | felt myself GROWN
: weaker. 1t was like hanging on to tn
| side of house and feeling my finger
$ slip, and finally | had to leave. Civ
t the store back to 'em, though, and
paid off the mortgage on the hous
y soon after was married, so Louis
was comfortably fixed, and then l gu
her. If 1 had stayed there anothe
e day I'd have killed her sure as u gur
> There was murder in my heart"
t just as he brought the melanchol
: story of his short married life to
y close l heard wheels oatside, an
g through the window l saw Uncl
a George Groot and his wife and Mar
|, and the two boys driving into I'll
y yard.
e They'll tell you very different,
e said Uncle Uph, hastily. They'll tie
you that Mis- Berry and Louisa are
n dreadful pair, and got my money ava
from me and treated me so bad that
= ran home like a licked school-boy, b.
that amt so. They don't understan
| me. You see, they never saw but OF
K side of me"
k All the Groots trooped into the 81
ting-room, and then there was such
h commotion! The unanswered lett
g was not only forgiven, but forgotten
y and after telling Aunt Ann Groot TIL
y 1 would stay all night if could ha'
a the little room in the southeast corne
ir l went out with Mary to put the poi
l. into the stable. Her father had q
+ ready begun to unharness the pom
he He was big, blue-eyed man, and
A. gave me a kiss that made all the hors
II prick nm their ears.
m "Eph been entertaining youp"
said as he went on unbuckling breec
ing straps and keeping up traces.
Or Yes answered, laughing littl
"He told me about his marriage"
lie made himself out regular demon
m suppose" Uncle George continue
10 Looks like worrier, dor
,e hep Well, the Berrys got pretty mu
it all his money away from him, so | su
c. pose they're satisfied, and since he 9
as off with his life, we're satisfied, al
be there amt any thing more to be sa
as about it. He escaped by the skin
/ his teeth, though. Another week a
C. those cussed women would have b
st him in grave or a lunatic asylum, b
it he's picking up now ~ y Post.
"A
Mt REFINED COURTESY.